Stephanie Verni's Blog, page 110
December 14, 2012
Thoughts for Friday
As students are about to graduate and the holiday spirit is upon us, I found this inspirational and a good reminder of what this time of year is all about. Happy Friday, everyone. Filed under: 2-Posts About Life Tagged: being nice, graduation, holiday spirit, Mother Theresa, thoughts

Published on December 14, 2012 05:17
December 13, 2012
Cookie Recipes from La Pancia Affamata
If you’re not familiar with La Pancia Affamata, let me acquaint you with it for a moment. In BENEATH THE MIMOSA TREE, my novel, which is set primarily around the holidays, the main character’s mother owns a Pasticerria in Annapolis. The name of the Pasticerria is La Pancia Affamata—translation—The Hungry Tummy. It’s a bakery that makes cookies and breads. I’m hungry just writing about it. When I head out to do book talks, I bring one of my family’s recipes [...]

Published on December 13, 2012 06:05
December 10, 2012
Steph’s Scribe’s Seven Gift Ideas For Women
I’ve assembled a list of gift ideas to give that very special woman in your life. To make it easy, I’ve selected items that women might struggle to buy for themselves, but when they get them as a gift, they are so appreciative. Here’s my list…feel free to add on any ideas I’ve neglected in the comments area! 1. Cashmere—Cashmere anything works…sweater, scarf, or wrap. It’s luxurious, but something we may tend to not want to spend on ourselves. Receiving [...]

Published on December 10, 2012 06:53
December 8, 2012
Best Part About “Anna Karenina”? The Costumes
“All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love.” ~ Leo Tolstoy This week, I went with my dear friend Diana to see “Anna Karenina.” It’s one of her favorite books by Leo Tolstoy. Admittedly, I’ve never read the book, though Tolstoy’s gift as a writer is something I should probably examine at some point. Nevertheless, I am a huge fan of films, particularly period pieces. I’m also a fan of Joe Wright, who directed the film, and [...]

Published on December 08, 2012 07:55
December 6, 2012
Flash Fiction Friday: Lessons of Survival
There are no lessons of survival for the survivors. Lessons of Survival Cascading waterfall. A wall of rocks. The ocean, calmly rocking. Alone in her beach chair, she sat, stretched out wearing her sunglasses, dissecting what had happened. The rays of the sun warmed her body as she played the scene over and over in her mind, a movie trailer unable to stop. A dish she was holding crashed to the floor, and her knees buckled and bruised from falling [...]

Published on December 06, 2012 22:40
December 4, 2012
My Noteworthy Love Affair
“What a lot we lost when we stopped writing letters. You can’t reread a phone call.” ~ Liz Carpenter What makes a noteworthy love affair? That your heart goes a-flutter and warms your soul to the very core. At the book club I attended last week, we talked about what this generation of children will be missing. We all agreed that they will be missing love letters. They will be missing the opportunity to create a box and save all the letters [...]

Published on December 04, 2012 10:36
December 3, 2012
Motherhood, Marriage, and Making Lunches
I was wrong, and I admit it. Years ago, when I was a mostly stay-at-home mom, working part-time, I admit to sometimes sitting in my Ivory Tower and judging other women who were working full-time but who didn’t participate in extracurricular women’s functions. Things like neighborhood groups, book clubs, and womens’ circles were often dropped by these women for reasons I couldn’t understand. As I’m now in my fifth full-time year at Stevenson, I have a completely different view of [...]

Published on December 03, 2012 05:27
November 30, 2012
Book Clubs & BookFest
Last night I spent a delightful evening with a group of women in Clarksville who’d read “Beneath the Mimosa Tree” as its book club choice. They couldn’t have been more lovely, supportive, and inviting. We talked a little about the plot, but mostly about what it takes to be a self-published, independent author. I told them the truth: It’s much easier to write it than it is to market it. I enjoy spending time meeting women around the area at [...]

Published on November 30, 2012 06:29
November 26, 2012
“An Old Fashioned Christmas” on Hallmark Channel
Last year, I was so disappointed that I didn’t get the chance to see “An Old Fashioned Christmas,” starring Jacqueline Bisset, Catherine Steadman, and Leon Ockenden. To my wonderful surprise, the film ran a couple of weeks ago, and I set my DVR. I had the opportunity to watch it over Thanksgiving break, and let [...]

Published on November 26, 2012 18:48
November 24, 2012
Writing the Follow-Up to “Beneath the Mimosa Tree”
Last weekend when I was in Miami and “Beneath the Mimosa Tree” won a bronze for contemporary romance fiction in the Readers Favorite contest, I was in a bit of shock. I couldn’t believe it. Contemporary Romance. Bronze Medal. It was my first book, but it was a long, long time in the making. I [...]

Published on November 24, 2012 10:20